African peoples are aspiring for achieving peace and sustainable development, and strengthening the continent has to be based on a collective will aiming to settle all crises of Africa, said Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who is currently heading the African Union.

During the G7-Africa partnership session on Sunday, Al-Sisi emphasised the need to fight terrorism and extremism in all their forms.

“We are not in need to review challenges in our continent, but we need to work together to find solutions for them based on the priorities of the countries,” Al-Sisi highlighted.

Among those priorities are empowering women and achieving gender equality, Al-Sisi added.

On the other hand, the president asserted that the political solution is the only way to settle the crisis in Libya, affirming the need to confront armed groups and illegal migration to restore stability and security.

Al-Sisi has arrived to France on Saturday to attend the 45th Annual G7 Summit upon an invitation from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Leaders of France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United States gathered on Saturday in the French seaside town of Biarritz for the international gathering from 24 to 26 August.

Macron, whose country holds the presidency of this year’s G7, also invited African and Asian leaders to attend the meeting. France chose the topic of “fighting inequality” as a theme to the summit this year.

The massive and ongoing fires in the Amazon rainforest are also topping the agenda this year, with Macron threatening to withhold an EU trade agreement, if Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro does not take action.

On the sidelines of the international gathering, Al-Sisi held meetings with President of RwandaPaul Kagame, President of Senegal Macky Sall, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission MoussaFaki Mahamat, according to a Sunday statement by the Egyptian presidency.

During the meeting, Al-Sisi and the African leaders discussed several topics including elimination of poverty, climate change, empowering women, and maintaining security and stability in the continent.

Meanwhile, Al-Sisi also met with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, according to Egyptian presidency spokesperson. The pair discussed increasing coordination and cooperation in various fields.

Both also discussed the case of the Italian student Giulio Regeni and followed up the investigations. Al-Sisi renewed his commitment to disclose the circumstances of the murder to hold the perpetrators accountable and to bring them to justice.

They also addressed issues including counterterrorism and illegal immigration as well as the recent updates in Libya.

Taking of Libya, Al-Sisi renewed his support to the political solution in Libya in a manner that ensures the unity of the country and its regional safety. The president also voiced his support to the Libyan National Army and the country’s national institutions.